Three schools fail to meet federal goals

Marisa O’Neil

Three local schools failed to meet federal standards for English

proficiency, and will therefore have to make active program

improvements and give parents the option to pull their children out

and send them to a higher performing school.

According to data presented to the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District board of trustees during two study sessions, students from

Whittier, Pomona and Wilson elementary schools did not meet goals set

by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Parents with children at those schools will soon be getting

letters informing them of the schools’ status and their options, said

Peggy Anatol, director of assessment for the district. Attempts to

appeal the status were denied, Anatol said.

Each of the schools will have to revise academic plans and use

funds for staff professional development. The district must provide

technical assistance.

“Our school improvement plan is specifically written around

reading and language arts,” Pomona Principal Julie McCormick told the

board Tuesday. “We know we have a lot of work to do, especially with

[No Child Left Behind].”

At Pomona Elementary, 12.9% percent of Pomona Elementary students

tested at proficient levels or above -- below the 13.6% dictated by

the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Last week, Whittier Principal

Sharon Blakely presented her report showing that 12% of that school’s

students tested at proficient or advanced levels for English.

The general student population of Wilson scraped by with a 13.7%,

but the Latino population tested at only 12.7% English proficiency.

This is the second year the schools fell short.

Two of the schools reported a high English language learner

population -- Whittier at 79% and Pomona at 90% -- which may have

contributed to the lowered scores. For math proficiency, Whittier

recorded 39% and Pomona 18%, both above the 16% required by the No

Child Left Behind Act. Wilson also met the criteria.

The No Child Left Behind Act aims to make all students proficient

in English and math by 2014 and has set increasing benchmark goals

for schools. Schools that do not measure up after two consecutive

years must work on program improvement or risk losing federal funds.

Improvements include revising the school plan and offering parents

the choice of moving students to another school. If the school fails

to measure up after two years of program improvement, corrective

action could cause the school to replace its staff, extend the school

year or restructure the school.

The reports also included state testing and performance data,

measuring the Academic Performance Index. Nine of Newport-Mesa’s 21

schools met the goal of 800 or above.

Only one high school, Corona del Mar, exceeded that, with a score

of 803.

Andersen Elementary in Newport Beach had a 900, the highest of all

schools in the district. Wilson, with an index of 553, was the

lowest.

Of the nine schools, only one reported a significant subgroup in

its predominantly Caucasian student population. Newport Coast

reported an Asian subgroup, which received a 902 Academic Performance

Index.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.